We're closing off our blog now after an historic result for France - which elected its youngest president in modern history with 39-year-old Emmanuel Macron. Here's a recap of the day. Scroll down for a look at the day as it panned out.

As for us, we're closing off the blog for tonight, but will be back early on Monday morning with more reaction, information, and analysis.

Thanks for reading.

00:51 - Macron takes Paris by 90 percent to 10 percent for Le Pen

And in the 19th arrondissement where our office is the score was the same...

00:35 - The newspaper front pages are coming out

In the UK the centre right's Daily Telegraph headlines on how the victory of the pro-EU Macron "puts a cloud over" the country's Brexit plans.

The Local's Oliver Gee was at Macron's event at the Louvre where the supporters of Emmanuel Macron were elated and relieved to learn their candidate won the French presidency on Sunday. But that doesn't mean they think the future of France is assured, he writes.

"Now we have a new president with a whole new movement. I'm very excited now to see if he gets supported by everyone in France. We know we have a divided country but I hope he is given the opportunity to do what he wants to do to lead France," Casimir, a 27-year-old entrepreneur told The Local.

Of course; many pointed out that just because Macron would lead France for five years, it didn't mean the face of the far right would be buried forever.

"We have to continue to battle against the National Front, against Le Pen. Just because she didn't win this time doesn't mean she will disappear," said 19-year-old Guillaume.

The crowd erupted in flag-waving glee for minutes after the result was announced, as Macron supporters hugged one another and leapt for joy.

"I'm so happy, it's been an 8-month battle," said 37-year-old Frederic, who works in fashion, over cheers from the crowd.

"This is something new for Paris, for France, for Europe and for the world."

Others talked of "pure joy", with one supporter saying he felt "like a plant seeing the sun for the first time".

After the elation, a kind of calm swept over the crowd as the result sunk in, and several members of the public told The Local they were feeling an overwhelming sense of relief.

"It's a relief to see that Le Pen has such a low score. It was obvious Macron would win but 65 percent is very good news," Casimir, a 27-year-old entrepreneur said.

"Now we have a new president with a whole new movement. I'm very excited now to see if he gets supported by everyone in France. We know we have a divided country but I hope he is given the opportunity to do what he wants to do to lead France."

The euro rallied to $1.1023 from $1.0998 in early Asia-Pacific forex trading Monday after pro-European centrist Emmanuel Macron won the French presidency, scoring a resounding victory over far-right rival Marine Le Pen.

The single currency reached its highest level since November on Macron's win, but the gains were modest compared to the reaction following his first round victory last month with markets largely pricing in Le Pen's defeat.

However, the 39-year-old former investment banker's victory effectively eliminates any risk of France leaving the single currency bloc.

"It's being interpreted as positive for risk sentiment as well as positive for the eurozone," Imre Speizer, senior markets strategist at Westpac NZ told AFP.

"I think what the Europeans have said in that corner of Europe is a resounding 'No' to populism."

Unknown three years ago, Macron is now poised to become one of Europe's most powerful leaders, bringing with him a hugely ambitious agenda of political and economic reform for France and the European Union.

But many analysts are sceptical about Macron's ability to win a parliamentary majority, meaning he might have to form a coalition of lawmakers committed to his agenda.

Furthermore, his economic agenda, particularly plans to weaken labour regulations to fight stubbornly high unemployment, are likely to face fierce resistance from trade unions and his leftist opponents.

He also inherits a country which is still under a state of emergency following a string of Islamist-inspired attacks since 2015 that have killed more than 230 people.

Le Pen, 48, had portrayed the ballot as a contest between Macron and the "globalists" -- in favour of open trade, immigration and shared sovereignty -- and her "patriotic" vision of strong borders and national identities.

Macron appeared to have learned his lesson after the first round victory speech, when he was accused of being arrogant and celebrating prematurely.

But in a somber speech to French TV tonight he said he was speaking to "all of France's citizens, not just those who voted for him."

21:13 - Macron says he is aware of 'anger, doubts and anxiety'

Macron has been speaking.

France's president elect says he is aware of 'anger, anxiety and doubts' in France.

Macron says he "understands the division of the nation that drove many voters to the extremes.

"It's my responsibility to understand them and to protect the most fragile... and fight against inequalities," said Macron.

Macron said he will defend Europe. "It's our civilization that is at stake."

21:00 - Le Pen was always likely to fail in quest to match Trump

After Donald Trump's stunning victory in last year's US presidential election, Marine Le Pen became convinced she could ride the same wave of populism to the Elysée Palace. But in reality she was far from pulling off another shock.

After Brexit and Donald Trump, Marine Le Pen was meant to be next big shock.

Riding on the same anti-immigration populist tidal wave, promising to make France great again, the far-right Le Pen was presented almost as a shoo-in for the Elysée Palace.

Even when the polls gave Macron a seemingly unassailable lead, people warned that the polls had been wrong about Trump and had failed to grasp the level of anti-EU feeling in Britain.

Even political analysts were reluctant to rule Le Pen out, despite Macron's 20 point poll lead.

"Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite! France chose that today. The great nation was, is, and remains in the middle and at the heart of Europe," wrote Gabriel on Twitter, using France's national slogan which means "liberty, equality, fraternity".

Merkel and her government had thrown their support behind Macron against far-right and anti-EU challenger Marine Le Pen.

20:46 - A new chapter for France

French President-elect Emmanuel Macron told AFP that his victory in Sunday's election represented "hope" and a "new chapter" for France.

"A new chapter in our long history begins tonight. I want it to be one of hope and renewed confidence," Macron said.

20:36 - More quotes from Le Pen

Speaking to her supporters in the Bois de Vincennes, Le Pen struck an optimistic tone, focusing on the party's "historic" result at 35 percent. "I want to thank the 11 milion French people who gave me their vote and their trust," she said.

She also thanked France Stand Up candidate and fellow eurosceptic Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, and hinted at future collaboration between the two parties saying "The National Front is engaged in a strategy of alliance."

She promised that the movement would undergo a "profound transformation" to create a "new political force".

She also highlighted how the party will try their best to make sure Emmanuel Macron's job is not an easy one.

"Our patriotic and republican alliance will be the primary force of opposition to the programme of the new president," she told the crowd, calling to "all the patriots" to join the movement.

20:29 - World leaders congratulate Emmanuel Macron

François Hollande has warmly congratulated Macron on his win as as British Prime Minister Theresa May.

The EU's Jean-Claude Juncker has hailed France's voters for choosing a European future.

20:26 - Just how did Emmanuel Macron do it?

From elite high school student to adviser to minister to rebel to chancer to president of France.

An elated crowd at the Louvre, but also a very noticeable feeling of relief, says The Local's Oliver Gee who is at the scene.

Some told The Local that it was a relief to get the win, others that Le Pen lost.

"It's a relief to see that Le Pen has such a low score. It was obvious Macron would win but 65 percent is very good news. Now we have a new president with a whole new movement. I'm very excited now to see if he gets supported by everyone in France. We know we have a divided country but I hope he is given the opportunity to do what he wants to do to lead France," says Casimir, a 27-year-old entrepreneur in Paris.

The flags are still occasionally waving, and I've heard the national anthem once, but the rest of the real cheers are being saved for Macron's appearance, scheduled for 10pm.

Around 15 news outlets said Sunday they had been barred from the election night gathering for French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen and her supporters.

Le Pen's National Front (FN) said they were turned away because of a lack of space at the venue, a dance hall in Vincennes, just east of Paris.

Le Monde, Liberation and L'Humanite newspapers said they would boycott the event out of "solidarity" with the other outlets.

Buzzfeed and Mediapart were among the online news sites that said on Twitter they were refused accreditation for the event, as well as reporters from Britain's Sky News, the US monthly The Atlantic and the Italian public TV channel Rai.

"In solidarity with our counterparts, the editors of Liberation... have decided not to attend," the paper's deputy editor said, calling the snub "anti-democratic".

19:25 - Macron supporters file into the Esplanade du Louvre

Macron supporters arrive at the Esplanade du Louvre, where Macron himself plans to speak later tonight. Result in forty minutes. pic.twitter.com/f8SFIn5eyp

There are reports that some anarchist groups are planning a protest against the election result from 8pm tonight when the results are announced.

The protest, which is being called "Night at the barricades round 2" is set to take place in Paris's 20th arrondissement in the north east near Ménilmontant and comes after the May day protests which descended into violence.

According to the event page "the results of the election aren't important. Let's all take the the streets to block the new president".

Remember that there were clashes with police after the first round vote in Bastille and during May Day rallies.

19:00 - Polling stations close around France

Polling stations are now closed around most of France. Only those in big cities will remain open until 8pm now.

18:38 - France divided: How Macron's and Le Pen's voters are very different

Emmanuel Macron's and Marine Le Pen's voters couldn't be more different. They represent a divided France, both geographically, socially and most significantly in how they see the future of their country. The presidential runoff vote represents a clash of two very different France's.

Macron's and Le Pen's voters are geographically divided: Macron is popular in the cities and Le Pen in rural areas and small towns.

Geography aside, it's of course impossible to know for sure exactly who voted for whom.

An Ipsos poll published on April 17th showed that 37 percent of labourers voted Le Pen, 32 percent of low-wage earners, and around a quarter of unemployed people. She also topped the votes for under 24s.

For Macron, a third of high-wage earners put his name in the ballot box, and 30 percent of highly educated voters. He topped the list for those earning €3,000 a month or more in salary.

Even though many voters might not have been impressed by the two final candidates, especially those on the left, there's no doubting that Macron versus Le Pen is a "pure battle" as one French geographer put it.

That's because the pair are diametrically opposed on almost every issue.

Europe, immigration, Islam, identity to name just a few. This article spells out all the battle lines.

"I didn't vote because I don't have the same objectives as either of the candidates. Sure, there are a lot of people who are scared of Le Pen, or worried about Macron, but honestly, for me, I'm not scared and I don't care either way.

"Whoever wins, I don't think it will make much of a difference for me."

With him was Erwan, a 20-year-old student from Arles in southern France.

"I voted blank because no candidates represented for me," he told The Local. "I couldn't give my vote to either of them."

Meanwhile, Omar Badis, a 27-year-old singer who is of Tunisian origin but was born in France, is strongly against Le Pen.

"Put yourself in my place, people like me wouldn't be able to live normal lives here . They say we are free in France - that it's all liberté égalité fraternité - but that's simply not true."

What's the collective noun for journalists? Scramble? A lot of jostling here at the Macron camp from reporters across the whole world. pic.twitter.com/yVDwhgvUcd

Paris prosecutors are investigating the hacking attack on presidential frontrunner Emmanuel Macron's campaign that led to
thousands of files being leaked online, a source close to the case said Sunday.

The source said the probe was opened on Friday, the same day as the flood of documents were posted on the internet ahead of Sunday's run-off vote.

17:25 - Could reluctant Macron voters head to the polls after 5pm?

Perhaps there's a reason for the lower turnout at 5pm compared to the first round.

A petition urging the French to vote late on Sunday gathered tens of thousands of signatures this week.

It is possible to block Marine Le Pen without supporting Emmanuel Macron, at least that's according to a petition that gained traction in France this week.

The petition, set up by a group called "Entends Mavoix" ("Hear my voice"), has attracted over 50,000 supporters in its call for citizens to vote after 5pm in the second round of the presidential election on Sunday.

France's Ministry of the Interior publishes participation reports at midday and at 5pm, meaning the fed up voters who vote late will be noticeably absent from the figure when published at 5pm - a move that they hope will let Macron know that all those who voted after were not voting for him but rather against Le Pen.

"This text is neither a call to vote for Macron, nor to abstain. It's an offer for those who decided to vote against the National Front to be heard, and for their voice to be counted and made public," the petition reads.

17:15 - Voter turnout at 5pm lowest since 1981

The turnout at 5pm on Sunday stood at 65.3 percent on Sunday, that reflects the lowest turnout at that time since the 1981 election.

BFM TV are no predicting the final turnout will be 74 percent. That is far below the 2012 of 80 percent.

What does it mean? A low turn out is thought to help Le Pen's chances, but given the lead in the polls, Macron will still be expected to win if 74 percent of the country votes.

It may however restrict the winning margin. Given the latest polls suggested he had a twenty point lead, any score less than 60 percent for Macron will be seen as a kind of defeat.

17:00: BREAKING: Turnout lower than in first round and compared to 2012

The latest figure on voter participation shows that turnout is well down on two weeks ago.

The figure given by the ministry of interior is 65.3 percent compared to 69.4 percent in the first round. In the second round of the 2012 election between François Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy the turnout was up at 71.9 percent by 5pm.

It needs to be pointed out that normally turnout goes up in the second round of the vote.

Our reporter Rose Trigg studied the speeches and interviews of Macron and Le Pen to look at how the pair have a very different idea of France.

While Le Pen says "France is full" and "France is a university for jihadists"... Macron says "France is... a country where a person who fights for their life and for their values should have a resident's permit"

At the square outside the Louvre some Macron supporters have come along to see how preparations are going, but they're wary of turning up tonight. "We're not sure about coming here, that it's going to be safe with such a big gathering" Nicolas Dengreville, 42, human resources manager told The Local.

A Macron voter from the first round, Dengreville is optimistic about a Macron presidency.

"If Macron wins we're hoping for fraternity, a more open, more humane France. A revival of France's values."

BFM TV report that Macron is locked inside his campaign HQ in the 15th arrondissement of Paris onthe capital's left bank. While TV images also show Marine Le Pen's cortege heading to her own HQ on rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré - the same street as the Elysée Palace.

It's in their headquarters that both candidates will be preparing their victory/concession speeches and watch the result at 8pm.

Macron is expected at the Esplanade du Louvre to speak to his supporters at 10pm if he wins. He is currently locked away in his campaign headquarters in the 15th arrondissement of Paris.

16:10 - How is the result announced?

The crucial result will be announced once again at 8pm, when the image of the next president of France will be shown on TV screens, prompting either wild celebrations or groans of despair among the public.

The photo below shows the moment François Hollande's face was broadcast when he won in 2012.

The result is based on the votes counted in 250 designated polling stations around the country that are considered to be have an accurate cross section of French voters. Remember polling stations around the country close at 7pm apart from in the big cities.

Hence the initial percentages given at 8pm can change slightly as the rest of the votes are counted.

But as the first round results showed the initial estimate is pretty accurate.

However these days with social media and foreign media who don't stick to the strict rules it's hard to keep the results under wraps until 8pm.

The French public are told to be wary of the unofficial results and rumours spreading around on the election weekend.

The "official" final figures won't be announced until May 11th.

15:54 - What about the hack attack on Macron?

The media blackout here in France covering Saturday and Sunday has prevented French media from covering the giant hacking of Emmanuel Macron's En Marche! team.

Social media has been going wild about it, although it appears the hashtag #Macronleaks has been dominated by pro-Donald Trump tweeters in America, rather than French voters.

The fact the hack has come so late in the day, plus the fact it was almost expected in France, not to mention the meant blackout has meant whatever was in the leaked documents have not been widely circulated, means it will likely have little impact on Sunday's vote.

"Macron has to face the prospect that while he might get elected by himself, he cannot govern alone and no-one can predict how his pop-up party will fare amid the rough and tumble of a general election campaign," says Smith.

He adds: "It is almost impossible to imagine a president elected without a majority in the assembly. It's just as hard to imagine any other party being willing to join the FN in a coalition."

15:40 - French astronaut urges voters to go to polls from space

French astronaut Thomas Pesquet has taken a break from tweeting breathtaking photos of France to urge voters to go to the polls. Pesquet says he has organised a proxy vote as have tens of thousands of Parisians, who have gone away fro the weekend.

The Local's Elisabeth Beretta has been out in the 19th arrondissement of Paris which voted for leftist Jean-Luc Melenchon inthe first round. Remember over Two thirds of Melenchon's followers said they would cast a blank ballot or abstain in the second round.

However some 50 percent of his voters said they would back Macron, polls say.

Macron will be hoping they stick to their word.

"Most votes I have spoken to today said they will vote, but not all, " says Elisabeth Beretta. "Some were still undecided and some were casting blank ballots."

In the 19th arrondissement the majority of people claim they either voted or are going to vote @TheLocalFrance

Emmanuel Macron's supporters will gather at the Louvre later where they hope to see his face projected on the big screen at 8pm, when as is the tradition in FRance, the image of the winning candidate is broadcast to the nation.

Our reporter Rose Trigg has been down to the Louvre where preparations are taking place in the rain.

The square outside the Louvre Museum in Paris, where French presidential frontrunner Emmanuel Macron plans a victory party if elected, was evacuated on Sunday following a security alert, a police source said.

The source gave no details on the nature of the scare, saying the area was cordoned off and searched by a police team "simply to banish any doubts".

The police wrote on Twitter that the evacuation was "just precautionary veifications".

The Louvre is situated on the banks of the Seine river in the heart of Paris.

14:20. An historic vote

In case you're still catching up, this is an historic vote for France. Here's why, from the AFP.

Whoever wins Sunday's vote it is set to cause profound change for France, the world's sixth-biggest economy, a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a global military power.

It is the first time neither of the country's traditional parties has a candidate in the final round of the presidential election under the modern French republic, founded in 1958.

Macron would be France's youngest-ever president and was a virtual unknown before his two-year stint as economy minister, the launchpad for his presidential bid.

"France is not a closed country. We are in Europe and in the world," Macron said in an acrimonious face-to-face debate with Le Pen on Wednesday.

13:53. Security alert at the Louvre museum

The courtyard around the Louvre museum in central Paris has been evacuated due to a "security alert".

Early reports suggested that police found a "suspicious package" in the area, although further details remain unclear.

In the mean time, here are some useful links to get you up to speed with exactly what's happening on this historic day - in which France will either get its first female president (Marine Le Pen) or its youngest president in modern history (39-year-old Emmanuel Macron).

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